1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a litter-tray for cats which, by the quick and easy (if not actually automatic) removal of the cat excreta and the cleaning of the litter-tray itself, drastically reduces the most inconvenient and unpleasant aspect of keeping a cat in the home.
2. Description of Prior Art
As is known, the practice of keeping small domestic animals (such as cats) at home is spreading. As a result, there is a resulting growth in the market for foods and other accessories needed for keeping these small animals, among which is the litter-tray for the collection and disposal of excreta.
Now, however, it is also known that the main obstacle to an even greater spread of the practice is, without doubt, the removal and disposal of the excreta from the litter-tray, together with the cleaning of the latter, which at present requires long, painstaking and unpleasant cleaning operations which must be repeated frequently in order to prevent the cat soiling elsewhere, in case of necessity, because it does not like to use a dirty litter-tray.
In the present technology, the litter-tray usually comprises a simple tray or open box into which a layer of granular material (known as granules) is introduced and onto which the cat satisfies its bodily requirements.
After each use of such a litter-tray by the cat, it is necessary to remove all the soiled granules immediately with a spatula so that the unsoiled granules can continue to be used. The soiled granules must be sealed in a bag to prevent the unpleasant smell from spreading through the home and the bag must be deposited in the garbage collection bins thus adding to the weight of garbage to be removed. The bed of the tray itself must be cleaned and any wet parts dried and fresh granules must be added to replace those removed. The cost of all this cannot be ignored.
Furthermore, after the introduction of dry "crunchy" cat-food which does not deteriorate with prolonged exposure to air at ambient temperature, it has become even more important to clean the tray frequently. This is probably the main argument against leaving the cat alone in the home for more than 24 hours if unpleasant surprises on return are to be avoided.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,133 discloses a litter-tray for the collection and disposal of cat excreta comprising a tray or open box in which a layer of granules is deposited, whereby the granules are contained in a removable net of fine mesh smaller than the grain-size of the same granules and having rim handles for its removal by hand, the net being inserted into the tray. Within the granules is also buried a rigid grille of mesh to support the weight of the can and granules. The tray includes a double bottom to collect liquids in which an antifermentative substance such as vinegar can be added.
International Patent Publication WO-A-91/15114 discloses a litter-tray for the collection and disposal of cat excreta comprising a tray in which a layer of granules is deposited and a removable grill having a mesh larger than the grain size of the said granules is buried within the layer of granules. The grill has rim handles to facilitate its removal by hand.
German Patent Publication DE-U-8900398 discloses a litter-tray for the collection and disposal of cat excreta comprising a tray or open box in which a layer of granules is deposited, a sensor for sensing the presence of a cat connected via a delay-timer to a programmer, a door mechanism fitted with a means of hermetic sealing and reopening of the tray under the control of the programmer, an inlet from the water mains to send water on the layer of granules for such length of time as shall be determined by the programmer and a heating element to heat the drying air.